Lullabies
by mollycoddle
Summary: As Naruto fell asleep Sasuke watched her. “You’d make a good mother,” he finally said. She smiled. “Thank you. But I will still throw you in a ditch.” Implied Sasusaku. Oneshot


_I do not own Naruto or the lullabies_

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Lullabies

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**Day One:**

It was funny, really, the way her voice carried into the night, thought Sasuke vaguely. His mind wasn't clear and all he could think about was her voice, her beautiful, mellow, song.

His mind really was a haze, he thought, but didn't have enough energy to think it with bitterness. One moment Dobe was annoying him and the next she was singing…and she was smiling, ruffling his and Naruto's hair, such a motherly type gesture that it almost hurt.

"Each of us have our own jobs," she insisted. "I can guard and you and Naruto plan."

Somewhere the music came back and he fell asleep.

_A candle, a candle__  
__To light me to bed;__  
__A pillow, a pillow__  
__To tuck up my head.__  
__The moon is as sleepy as sleepy can be,__  
__The stars are all pointing their fingers at me,__  
__And Missus Hop-Robin, way up in her nest,__  
__Is rocking her tired little babies to rest.__  
__So give me a blanket__  
__To tuck up my toes,__  
__And a little soft pillow__  
__To snuggle my nose._

**Day Two:**

Naruto couldn't sleep. His dreams were of Kyuubi taking over—blood tainted his hands.

He would wake up gasping for breath and Sakura would wake up and ask what was wrong. Teme would give him a look and then he would mutter "nothing" and go back to sleep—only to be waken up again.

Finally Sakura put his head on her pillow, covered him up with a blanket, and then went to the fire and poured him the last of the hot milk. She mixed it with something that looked like honey and gave it to him.

It tasted sweet. Warm. Like a warm thought or an amusing laugh. "You know," she whispered softly. "You're getting stronger…your father's proud, Naruto."

He didn't ask how she knew, didn't ask why she would say that now, didn't ask why she was using present tense, but he believed her.

Then she began:

_Sleep, baby, sleep__  
__Thy father tends his sheep__  
__Thy mother shakes the dreamland tree__  
__And softly dreams do fall for thee;__  
__Sleep, baby, sleep_

_Sleep, baby sleep,__  
__Heaven sends us sheep,__  
__The little stars are lambkins white,__  
__The moon she tends them all the night;__  
__Sleep, baby, sleep._

_Sleep, baby, sleep,__  
__And you shall have a sheep,__  
__And he shall have a golden bell,__  
__And play with baby in the dell;__  
__Sleep, baby, sleep._

And Naruto had no nightmares.

**Day Three:**

Little of anything was exchanged—a plan, a concern, and then rest for the day ahead.

Sasuke couldn't breathe.

Sakura was at his side, tending, giving him warm sips of something, and then raking her fingers through his head.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun," he heard. "You're going to get better. The poison isn't too bad. Try to sleep."

What poison? he thought. What's bad?

_Are you sleeping, are you sleeping?_

_Brother John, Brother John?__  
__Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing__  
__Ding dang dong, ding dang dong.__  
_

_Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques,  
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?  
Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines  
Ding dang dong, ding dang dong._

**Day Four:**

He watched her as she smiled at him, her grin tired from the nights she spent singing them to sleep, not getting enough, not eating.

Yet she stubbornly refused to rest.

That night when the forest seemed to creep up and twist their very cores she sang in the strongest voice so far, loud, but not too loud. Simple, but delicate._  
_

_Golden slumber kiss your eyes,__  
__Smiles await you when you rise.__  
__Sleep, pretty baby,__  
__Do not cry,__  
__And I will sing you a lullaby._

_Care is heavy, therefore sleep,  
While I o'er you watch do keep.  
Sleep, pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing you a lullaby. (__Thomas Dekker__)_

**Day Five:**

They had a battle.

Naruto had two ribs broken, bruises everywhere, blood dripping from his arms, but he was alive.

Sasuke had an arm broken, a sprained ankle, and blood dripping from his eyes.

Sakura, though, didn't even have a scratch as she healed them, muttering about stupid pride and retarded bets and not waking her up before going off. "If you don't get better," she warned them, "I'm going to throw you into a ditch and laugh evilly."

As Naruto fell asleep Sasuke watched her. "You'd make a good mother," he finally said.

She smiled. "Thank you. But I will still throw you in a ditch."

He took her hand and made her blush slightly. "Sing more, please." Putting his head on her lap and letting her comfort him and wonder about his own family she sang. Maybe...maybe he can find out with her. What family means.

_Hush, little baby, don't say a word.  
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird_

_And if that mockingbird won't sing,  
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring_

_And if that diamond ring turns brass,  
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass_

_And if that looking glass gets broke,  
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat_

_And if that billy goat won't pull,  
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

_And if that cart and bull turn over,  
Mama's going to buy you a dog named Rover._

_And if that dog named Rover won't bark,  
Mama's going to buy you a horse and cart._

_And if that horse and cart fall down,  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town_


End file.
